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GOSPEL SPOTLIGHT MARY MARY
Wednesday 08-27-2008 3:39pm CT
PRAISE MIXDOWN GOSPEL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: MARY MARY
Sisters Erica and Tina, collectively known as Mary Mary, simultaneously established themselves at gospel and urban AC radio with their 2000 hit "Shackles." The duo has consistently been able to reach both audiences during their recording career. "Shackles" helped drive their debut album, "Thankful," to reach platinum status, and Tina recalls, "‘Shackles' was great! It opened a bunch of doors for us, and I'm grateful for that, but you can never do your beginning again. We can't make the record again, and you can't redo what you've already done. Obviously we want to make more songs that impact people, but God is a God of the present, and he's doing great things today, so we don't like to live in the past."
Inglewood, Calif., natives Erica and Tina began singing in church along with their parents and six other siblings. They decided to focus on making singing a career after appearing on BET's "Bobby Jones Gospel" show and formed Mary Mary in 2006. Their next big break came after being cast in the gospel show "Mama I'm Sorry" and then touring with Brian McKnight, Brandy, Eric Benet, Kenny Lattimore and Ray J as background singers. Erica and Tina were influenced by gospel greats like the Clark Sisters, Commissioned, the Winans, John P. Kee and Hezekiah Walker at a very young age. As their careers progressed they found Yolanda Adams to be an additional source of inspiration. Mary Mary even had a chance to work with Adams when they wrote "Time to Change" and "Yeah," which appeared on her platinum-selling album "Mountain High...Valley Low."
With "Thankful" (2000), "Incredible" (2002), "Mary Mary" (2005) and "A Mary Mary Christmas" (2006), the Grammy-winning duo has established a solid music career, but it's not the most important thing in either Tina's or Erica's life. Their success as singers has not diminished their strong emphasis on family. Having a mother who balanced music and raising children showed both sisters that it could be done. "You gotta take time for family," says Erica. Tina adds, "My mama juggled nine kids with being a choir director."
The catchy uptempo tracks that Mary Mary often sing over helped establish them as superstars of contemporary gospel, and they make no apologies. Erica says, "We're going to continue to do what we do and do it Mary Mary style. We're going to go out and be funky and fun. We can't help being that kind of people. Ultimately, we're just two girls from California who love God and are glad about the talent God's given us." Provided by Radio and Records'Darnella Dunham.
Word of the Day
Wednesday 08-27-2008 3:40pm CT
 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
—2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV
The Word says that a person will die for lack of discipline and instruction, and in his folly he will go astray and be lost (See Proverbs 5:23). You can’t buy discipline, but you have an inner ability to develop self-control.
By spending time with God, you can be filled with His Spirit and controlled by His power to live a calm life with a well-balanced mind of discipline and self-control (See 2 Timothy 1:7). Consciously add self-control to your behavior today. From the book Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.GOSPEL ALBUMS COMING SOON
Tuesday 08-26-2008 9:56pm CT
Aug. 26 - Darwin Hobbs Free (Tyscot)
Aug. 2008 - Kyle Bynoe The Kyle Bynoe Project (Jon Doe Muzik Group)
Sept. 2 - Adrian B. King You're Awesome! (JDI Records)
Sept. 2 - Dr. Bobby Jones Presents Renee Spearman And Prez He Changed Me (JDI Records)
Sept. 2 - JDI Records Presents VOW Somebody Somewhere (JDI Records)
Sept. 16 - DeLeon Here In Me (Arrow Records/Demari)
Sept. 16 - Kevin LeVar & One Sound Let's Come Together (Habakkuk Music/God Glorified/UMCG)
Sept. 16 - New Shiloh Women Of Witness & Worship Hallelu Anyhow! (JDI Records)
Sept. 23 - Arkansas Gospel Mass Choir Hold On For Life (T Records)
Sept. 23 - Sean Simmonds It's Over (Xist Records/Tyscot Records)
Sept. 23 - The Soul Stirrers A Soul Stirring Reunion (Malaco Records)
Sept. 30 - Marvin Winans Jr. Image Of A Man (M2 Entertainment)
Sept. 30 - Trin-i-tee 5:7 T57 Deluxe Edition (Spirit Rising/Music World)
Sept. 30 - Paul Porter A New Day (Light)
Oct. 7 - The CAJO Family Canton Jones Presents The CAJO Family (Cajo Affiliates/Tyscot Records)
Oct. 14 - Mary Mary The Sound (Columbia)
Oct. 21 - Candi Staton I Will Sing My Praise To You (Emtro Gospel)
Oct. 21 - Nu Tradition Nu Tradition 2 Disc Set CD with Bonus DVD (Tyscot Records)
CECE WINANS FOCUSES ON EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN
At a time when scantily clad female socialites are powerful enough to influence everything from pop music to presidential elections, it can be difficult to tout the virtues of a lower hemline and a life of purity. But for gospel vocalist CeCe Winans, a multiple Grammy and Dove award winner, it is a passion " and a responsibility she takes seriously.
"I have to teach people what I know worked for me. I'm responsible. But what they poured into me, how they blessed my life " the older generation " now that I'm a part of 'the older generation,' it's my responsibility to pour into the generation that's come after me."In 2005, Winans launched her first annual "Always Sisters" Conference in Nashville, Tenn. The conference targets women aged 13-26 with seminars like "The Power of a Princess." Invited guests have included Whitney Houston and Maya Angelou. The first conference hosted 600 young women. The 2007 conference drew well over 3,000 for two days of teaching on teenage pregnancy, building self-esteem and dating. This year's conference had to be rescheduled, but they were planning to accommodate 5,000. Winans current dream is to take the conferences across the country. She recently held a Q&A session for teens throughout the New York City area at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. "It's about saving our youth. ... A lot of our youth don't understand their value. They just accept the lies that the enemy has told them about their worth, about what they can accomplish and about what they should settle for," Winans said. "I'm fired up about firing up young people to understand their power and their worth."
Winans, 43, lives in a suburb just outside Nashville with her husband of nearly 25 years, Alvin Love II. She was raised by two of the most famous parents in gospel music, David and Delores Winans, also known as "Mom and Pop Winans." She and her nine brothers and sisters are among the first families in Gospel music.Winans' career first took flight as one-half of the brother-sister duo "BeBe and CeCe Winans." From 1988's "Heaven" to the 1996 release "Count on Me," Bebe and CeCe Winans released a steady stream of albums, many that are now certified gold and platinum. Their R&B-flavored gospel was criticized for producing genre-crossing romantic ballads with lyrics like "I'm lost without you/so don't ever go away" where the subject of affection wasn't always clearly divine. Since then, R&B and Contemporary-styled Gospel has come to dominate the charts and crossover appeal has become the goal for many top artists. After a nearly 10-year break, the two are working on a new album to be released sometime next year. Tour stops are planned in the U.S and Africa. "I love singing with Bebe, we have a great time on stage, in the studio. ... We have a great time, we do what we do, and so, it's not something that's weird, I think I'm more at home with that than even by myself." Provided by Associated Press
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARNER "DA FUTURE"- AUGUST 24TH
Friday 08-22-2008 3:18pm CT
 Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough, still uncontaminated [as you are], for Christ.
—1 Corinthians 5:7
If you are serious about growing in the Lord and reaching a maturity of faith, you will embrace Matthew 5:29–30. It is a powerful Scripture which basically says: “If your eye offends you, pluck it out; if your hand offends you, cut it off.”
In 1 Corinthians 9:24–27, Paul said, “I am running a race, and I am running it to win. Therefore, I buffet my body, I subdue it, and I handle it roughly” (paraphrased).
If you have habits or hindrances in your life that are fouling you up, get rid of them. Do it now! Don’t waste today with regret. Ask God to show you any area in your life that needs discipline, and then draw from His vast supply of grace to make the changes you need to make.
From the book Starting Your Day Right: Devotions for Each Morning of the Year by Joyce Meyer.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WARNER "DA FUTURE" AUGUST 24TH. THE PARTY IS AUGUST 30, 2008 FOR MORE INFO GO TO
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LETHIMUSEYA
Word of the Day
Thursday 08-21-2008 4:00pm CT
 Psalm 77:11-12 - But then I recall all you have done, O' Lord I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mightly works. (NLT)
A lot of times in life we go through problems some seeming on a consistent basis. But what we lose sight of are the things that the Lord has already does and continues to do in our lives. Yes, we all have fallen short complaining of things such as finances, material possessions and gas. One thing that we must remember is that if as gas continues to rise, God will continue to provide. Remember the things that God has brought you out of and please be sure that He will continue to make a way for you to succeed in your walk. If you focus your attention on God and what He has done for you the amount of joy that you will experience is unbearable. Continue to thank God for what He has done and praise Him in advance for the things that are on their way.
Father God, we come to you right now thanking you for the continuous work that you do in our lives. Although it may seem like we have forgotten the things you have already done, we know that the true power lies within your Holy Spirit. Create in us dear Lord a clean heart and a right spirit so that we may always stay humble and never forget the things that you have done and what you have brought us out of. Its in your son Jesus Name that we do pray... Amen.
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Part 1
© 2008